An inking unit of a rotary printing press is known from DE 44 39 144 C2. It comprises an ink fountain roller which picks up ink from an ink reservoir, and a plurality of ink forme rollers which apply ink to a printing couple cylinder. An ink dividing roller is provided, which divides an ink flow coming from the ink fountain roller into a primary flow and a secondary flow. A distribution roller, which transfers ink from the ink dividing roller to at least one of the ink forme rollers, is provided in the primary flow and in the secondary flow. The roller train between the ink fountain roller and the ink dividing roller comprises four rollers arranged in a row, and is therefore relatively long. When the ink forme rollers are to apply a very specific quantity of ink to the printing couple cylinder, a relatively thick layer of ink is applied to the roller which is situated downstream from the ink fountain roller in the roller train. Following each gap position between two adjacent rollers in the roller train which transfer ink, the layer of ink is thinner on the roller situated downstream from the gap position. However, the respective ink layer is necessarily relatively thick, at least on the first of the four rollers situated near the ink reservoir, due to the many gap positions between that at least first roller and the printing couple cylinder. This results in increased ink misting in the case of a high-speed rotary printing press.
An inking unit of a rotary printing press is known from WO 2004/024451 A1. It is comprised of an ink fountain roller, which picks up ink from an ink reservoir, and a plurality of ink forme rollers which apply ink to a printing couple cylinder. An ink dividing roller, which divides an ink flow coming from the ink fountain roller into a primary flow and a secondary flow, is provided. A distribution roller, which transfers ink from the ink dividing roller to at least one of the ink forme rollers, is also provided in the primary flow and in the secondary flow. The ink, which is to be fed into the roller train, is applied directly to the ink dividing roller by an ink chamber blade. In this prior device, the ink dividing roller is configured as an anilox roller. A short ink train of this type has no provision for metering ink quantity by zones. It is suitable for use only in connection with a dry offset printing process which does not employ dampening agent.
A method is known from DE 10 2004 004 665 A1 in which each of the rollers of an inking unit and/or a dampening unit is equipped with a device for executing a remotely actuable radial movement of the respective roller. This can be done, for example, to adjust the roller's contact pressure against an adjacent rotational body.
A device, for use in mounting a cylinder of a printing unit using a bearing block, and which is capable of moving in linear bearings along an adjustment path and which has a rotary bearing, is known from DE 10 2004 037 889 A1. The bearing assembly is embodied as a bearing unit in the manner of a structural assembly which can be mounted as a complete unit, which, in addition to the rotary bearing, comprises both cooperating bearing elements which enable the relative movement of the bearing block.
An inking roller with a jacket piece configured as a sleeve made of a microporous elastomeric material is known from DE 27 23 582 B. In the jacket piece, which is made, for example, of foam rubber, a plurality of cavities are formed. The cavities are of substantially different sizes within a predetermined size range. The purpose of this inking roller is to prevent ink mist from being thrown off of the inking roller, especially at higher circumferential speeds of the inking roller of at least 305 m/min.
A fluid roller with a hard surface is known from DE 30 04 295 A1. A hard metal coating, such as, for example, chromium, for example having a thickness of up to 0.5 mm, is applied to the outer surface of the cylindrical core. In this coating, a random pattern of interconnected gaps, with separate islands lying between them, is created via etching. The interconnected gaps occupy up to 30% of the surface of the fluid roller. The gaps have a depth, for example, of up to 0.075 mm. This fluid roller cooperates with another roller to transport the fluid. The additional roller has a soft circumferential surface. These two rollers are engaged against one another.
An inking roller, which is made of steel, is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,127A. The circumferential surface of this inking roller is preferably structured with intersecting lines in a cell pattern via engraving, is boundary hardened in a nitration process, and is then subjected to an oxidation process. The oxidation process forms an outer layer, comprised primarily of Fe3O4, on the circumferential surface of the roller.
A printing unit, with an inking unit having at least one ink dividing roller, is known from DE 10 2004 040 150 A1. Only a single roller is positioned in the inking unit between an ink fountain roller, which picks up ink from an ink reservoir, and the ink dividing roller. This single roller is configured as a film roller. The film roller has a structured circumferential surface.
A film roller for inking units of rotary printing presses is known from DE 69 10 823 U. The surface of that film roller is equipped with a thin layer of hard rubber. The hard rubber layer has a Shore hardness of 80 to 85°.
A method of producing an anilox roller, made preferably of steel, is known from DE 100 28 478 A1. This anilox roller is equipped, on its outer surface, with small depressions. The depressions are preferably generated via shot peening. A limitation of this prior anilox roller is that a circumferential surface made of steel will create a discontinuity in ink transport after only a short period of operation, especially when used in a wet offset printing process. This is because such a circumferential surface tends to run out of ink rapidly.